Unification Sermons and Talks

by Reverend Joong Hyun Pak

A Brief History of True Parents

By Reverend J. H. Pak

This is the introduction given to True Parents on their birthday February 13, 1997, celebrated in the New Yorker

I am unworthy to introduce my True Parents and yours. We are indeed honored to be present as participants at this historical True Parents Birthday Celebration in 1997, here in this great world capitol of New York City.

It is impossible to explain in any human language, the depth, the vast dimensions, and the historical value of our True Parents. I would not know where to begin. They are the culmination of 6,000 years of biblical history. They have been sent by God Almighty to conclude salvation history and start the Glorious Era of the Kingdom of God on Earth and in Heaven.

There have been no greater peacemakers and unifiers in all of history than True Parents.

True Father was born in Jung Joo province in North Korea in 1920 on January 6 by the lunar calendar. True Mother was born in An Joo province, North Korea in 1943 on January 6 by the lunar calendar! How many couples called by God have the same day of birth? And not only that--they were born in neighboring provinces.

Together they have devoted their entire lives to establishing world peace and bringing God's Kingdom to the world.

Prior to the independence of Korea in 1945, True Father prepared for his great public mission. He began this preparation in Korea and Japan with deep prayer and meditation. During that time he received unspeakable persecution from Satan.

Following 1945 he began his public ministry in Pyongyang, with about 20 followers.

He was imprisoned by the communists for three years in Hungnam prison where he suffered near to death.

After liberation from Hungnam prison during the Korean War in 1950, True Father left for South Korea. 55 days later in January 1951, he arrived in Pusan. There he labored as a dock worker. From August of that year until May 1952 he wrote the original Divine Principle.

On May 1, 1954 in Seoul, he established the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity, also known as Unification Church.

The success of his ministry spread like wildfire, reaching far and wide so quickly that religious and political authorities became shocked. On July 1, 1955, True Father was jailed but then released, due to his innocence, after just 3 months.

In 1957 he sent out 120 missionaries to cities and villages throughout South Korea.

On June 15, 1958, he sent the first missionary to Japan.

On January 2, 1959 he sent the first missionary to America. And in 1975 he sent missionary teams 2out to 120 countries worldwide. These teams consisted of representatives from Japan, America and Germany.

Today, True Parents are represented by their ardent followers on 6 continents, in 185 countries throughout the world.

Never in human history has any religious founder been represented in every country on Earth during his own lifetime.

On April 11, 1960 True Father and True Mother were Blessed in Holy Matrimony, established a True Family on Earth and thus began God's Tradition of True Family Life.

Through True Father and True Mother the way was opened for more couples to receive God's Blessing.

By a miraculous course known only to God and True Parents, this marriage Blessing, first received by 3 couples in 1960 expanded to an unimaginable 360,000 couples by 1995.

In November of this year of 1997, True Parents will give the Blessing to 3.6 million couples. We are witnessing with our own eyes the establishment of the Kingdom of God on Earth.

True Father knew human global conflict was coming because of the fallen nature of humankind. So on January 13,1960 he created the organization the "International Federation for Victory over Communism" to counter the dangers of worldwide Communism. He also created "CAUSA International" in 1981.

In April 1990, True Parents met President of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev in Moscow.

In December 1991 True Parents traveled to Pyongyang, North Korea to meet President Kim Il Sung. Through all these many anti-communist activities our True Parents forced the end of 70 years of communist tyranny and opened the way to freedom for half the world's population.

In order to lay a foundation for a peaceful world, True Parents established the Summit Council for World Peace, the Inter Religious Foundation for World Peace, the Women's Federation for World Peace, the Youth Federation for World Peace and the Family Federation for World Peace.

In addition to these great federations for world peace, our True Parents are creating a home on Earth for all human life and effort: the Washington Times and Segae Times for media and information, Sun Moon University and the University of Bridgeport for international education, the Little Angels, the Universal Ballet and the New York City Symphony for the arts, and Han Ma Dang Games and the Il Hwa Chun Ma Soccer Team for sports.

Our True Parents' work covers all of human life and effort. At the end of this year, the World Culture and Sports Festival will bring together in this nation's capital a great many of these outstanding organizations for peace. Of course, the greatest of all contributions to world peace will be the Blessing of 3.6 million couples. This Blessing will take humankind beyond racial, religious and cultural boundaries, unifying all continents, all peoples. We will truly become one world, one family.

My dear Brothers and Sisters, in conclusion, as the "love disciple" John wrote of Jesus in his gospel, chapter 21, verse 25, "There are also many other things which Jesus did; were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written." So history will record our True Parents, Their great sacrifice and

Their consistent practice of True Love. History will surely record the sweat They have shed for Earth, the tears they have shed for humankind, and the blood They have shed for God and Heaven.

Let us now express our pride and love to True Parents.

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